Elliot Eland was born with Angelman syndrome, which means he has severe learning issues but constantly has the giggles.

However, rather than see it as a curse, the two-year-old’s parents have embraced the condition, of which there are fewer than 1,000 cases in Britain.

‘When we feel down, Elliot’s laughter keeps us all going. You just have to look at him and his happiness takes over,’ said mother Gale from Preston, Lancashire.

‘At the end of the day when you have children you just want them to be happy, and Elliot always is.’

In the future Elliot may have trouble walking and communicating, but his parents are hoping that with new technology and the work of charities dedicated to the disorder, there will be mechanisms for him to cope.

Now, the only problem is Elliot’s brother getting the wrong idea, they said.

‘The only problem is if Elliot and his big brother, Alex, are playing and Alex accidentally gets hurt. Alex will be crying, but Elliot just laughs and he doesn’t understand why,’ she said.